102 Dalmatians Soundtrack
Rated 6: Not bad, not classic.

Maybe Disney only goes all out for the soundtracks of their animated films, like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, or Tarzan? There are no future classics on the 102 Dalmatians soundtrack, but that's only really apparent when you get to track 8: "Bella Notte" from Disney's Lady and the Tramp. Many adults will recall playing a favorite Disney soundtrack over and over on the record player until the vinyl became scratched.

Times have changed.

102 Dalmatians is for the Y2K child. The songs are high-gloss pop with a very "G-Rated" feel. Glenn Close sings two songs - "Cruella" and "I'm Getting' Good at Being Bad" that have a good chance of becoming sing-along favorites of some kids. Eric Idle's "What Can A Bird Do?" may make children laugh, but it will wear on grown-ups pretty quickly - he's no songbird.

Like the film, the soundtrack is bouncy and cute, with a good chance of appealing to kids until the next big thing comes along.

Bounce Soundtrack
Rated 5: 2 Cute 2 B Enjoyable

The most jarring aspect of the Bounce Soundtrack is the close-up of "Benneth" on the cover.

Some people will LOVE this CD; it's slightly sad, wistful and cute. For me, this is background music. It's an extremely mellow compilation of love songs that eventually runs together in a drippy mess. With track titles like "My Baby and Me", "Our Affair", and simply "Love", there is little chance that someone will mistake this CD for anything but what it is.

It's positively sleep inducing, which makes me think that Morcheeba's rousing "Rome Wasn't Built In A Day" was deliberately placed midway through the CD to rouse listeners from peaceful slumber. (Whatever you do, don't play this soundtrack while driving!) Dido's hauntingly romantic "Here With Me" is a welcome add, even if it's already better known as the "Roswell" theme song. The only other notable track is the bouncy "Need to be Next to You" by Leigh Nash of Sixpence None the Richer. "I'm No Ordinary Girl" by Anika Paris would have gotten a positive mention if not for its idiotic lyrics, including "I've got a pocketful of dreams; you've got happiness for sale across the room and I want more…" in the chorus. Insulin! I need insulin!

Blair Witch 2 Soundtrack
Rated 3: Will make you run screaming into the woods.

As I sat listening to the Blair Witch 2 soundtrack, I was thinking how the original Blair Witch had no soundtrack at all. There was only the sound of crunching leaves, Heather Donahue hyperventilating, and the occasional hoarse screaming. Had those noises been put on a CD, they would have been less irritating than the Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows soundtrack.

To be fair, Marilyn Manson did not produce the BW2 soundtrack for me. I am not an anti-social 14 year-old boy. That said, there are a few highlights to BW2. The opening track, "The Reckoning", is enjoyable. Incidentally, the band who sings it, Godhead (sounding a bit like Nine Inch Nails Lite), were the first band signed by Manson's Posthuman Records label and are the supporting act on his tour.

Other highlights include "Goodbye Lament" by Tony Iommi with Dave Grohl, and the Goth rock standard, "Dragula" by Rob Zombie. Marilyn Manson's "Suicide Is Painless" is somewhat depressing and bland, but it's interesting to note that the song is famous in non-Marilyn mode as the theme song for M*A*S*H.

Overall, the BW2 soundtrack becomes repetitive and grating. Of the fifteen songs on the CD, ten dissolve into singers screeching unintelligibly to bad music. If you did not LOVE the film, this CD should be used only to worry your parents, irritate your Hanson-loving roommate, or possibly as a coaster.

Charlie's Angels Soundtrack
Rated 10: Girls rock.

I did not want to like this soundtrack. The thought of Charlie’s Angels irritates me – female empowerment through boob shaking and booty wiggling is thoroughly uncool. The Charlie’s Angels CD is cool, however, because it is what it is – total, unapologetic cheese.

Let’s see, there’s "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors, "Groove is in the Heart" by Deee-Lite, and the all-time classic "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot. What can you say to that? You say nothing; you just smile and sing along.

There are some true oldies thrown in for good measure: "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel", "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing", and the karaoke classic, "Brandy" with a special intro by Drew’s fiancé, Tom Green. New songs by Fatboy Slim and Aerosmith speed things up, and Apollo Four Forty’s "Charlie’s Angels Theme 2000" rocks.

Play it while driving – it’s fast paced, fun, and you’ll feel more comfortable belting out the lyrics: "Turn around, stick it out, even white boys got to shout. Baby got back!" in the privacy of your car.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Rated 8: Engaging almost to the end.

The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon soundtrack is surprisingly gentle for a kick-a** film. If you’ve heard or read anything about Ang Lee’s latest movie, you know that it is full of Matrix-style fight scenes and breathtaking action.

The score is composed by Tan Dun with cello solos by Yo-Yo Ma. These instrumental tracks are heavily influenced by Chinese music and draw the listener into the world of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon effortlessly. For about 40 minutes, I was lulled into a state of relaxation by the first 13 tracks.

Suddenly, this world was shattered by the sappy "A Love before Time." With vocals by CoCo Lee, "A Love before Time" sounds like the worst kind of love ballad sung by the star/aspiring singer in a daytime soap opera. To add insult to injury, it is immediately followed by the Mandarin version, which was less alarming due to the fact that I don’t understand Mandarin and didn’t have to listen to Lee sing those lyrics again.

The Emperor's New Groove Soundtrack
Rated 7: Good, but not groovy.

Good news - neither David Spade nor John Goodman sings on The Emperor's New Groove soundtrack. In fact, the only star that does sing is Eartha Kitt - and her song, "Snuff Out the Light" is the highlight of the CD. What a relief!

If Emperor seems to have a more contemporary edge than most Disney animation soundtracks, consider that all the lyrics were penned by Sting himself, who does vocals on two songs, "My Funny Friend and Me" and "One Day She'll Love Me" (the latter is sung with Shawn Colvin). Pop icon Tom Jones performs "A Perfect World" as the opening track.

Other than a rather dull "Walk the Llama Llama" by Rascal Flatts, the rest of the CD is comprised of the competent, if not outstanding score by John Debney. Overall, The Emperor's New Groove is refreshingly edgy, of not terribly groovy.

The Family Man Soundtrack
Rated 5: More "blah" than "aah".

The Family Man soundtrack is all over the place. If you like one track, you’re bound to dislike another. It’s a style thing. I have a theory: The Family Man is about love, our own different versions of love, and what touches us. Odds are, one of the songs on this CD will be your idea of the perfect love song. The other songs will be the ones you mocked other dopes for liking.

Here’s how it breaks down for me: "One" by U2 is one of my all-time favorites. Whenever I hear it, I think about my college sweetheart. On the other end of the spectrum is "To Be with You" by Mr. Big. It makes me think about my dorm neighbors, who played this awful dreck on a continuous loop for hours each day. Either way, they bring back memories.

Resourceful people will enjoy this soundtrack. After all, you can sing along to "Once in a Lifetime" by the Talking Heads or "La donna è mobile," sung by Luciano Pavarotti. (Don’t recognize the second one? You’ve heard the aria. Trust me.) Other highlights include "World Looking In" by Morcheeba, who seems to supply upbeat tunes so consistently that I’m becoming a fan.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas Soundtrack
Rated 10: Cheerful, yet safe for Grinches.

I have a confession to make. I’m a Grinch.

No, I never had a traumatic experience at the hands of Whos, but I have worked retail at Christmas, and it has soured me forever on Christmas music. It sets my teeth on edge. The same old, aggravating songs sung over and over in new, kicky versions by different artists -- it makes you want yell "Bah, humbug!"... wait ...wrong film.

In any case, The Grinch soundtrack did not have this effect, and for that I am eternally grateful. In fact, there is not one traditional Christmas song on this CD, unless you consider "You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" (sung by Jim Carrey, who does a great job) to be a classic. Carrey also joins Busta Rhymes in the opening track, "Grinch 2000," which contains elements of Seuss’s Grinch theme. (Maybe that’s why I caught our managing editor, Laura, singing along to it?) But by far my favorite elements of The Grinch are the inspired Carrey dialogues from the film: "Kids Today," "Grinch Schedule," and "Reindeer."

The best songs are "Better Do It Right" by Smash Mouth, "Christmas Is Going to the Dogs" by the Eels, and "Where Are You Christmas?" by Faith Hill (which gets points off for sticking in my head for hours afterward). James Horner’s terrific original score is interspersed with the film’s straight-from-the-book narration by Anthony Hopkins.

It’s a great CD, and it may be even better than the film, since you can enjoy it without the overly colorful Whoville and the hideously cheerful Whos. (I guess my heart is still a couple sizes too small, huh?)

Little Nicky Soundtrack
Rated 7: For Sandler fans and hard rock fans, a gift from below.

For the Little Nicky soundtrack, a recommendation with a warning: This is a good CD, if you like Adam Sandler. Now, I will most likely never buy a ticket to an Adam Sandler film, but I’ve seen them and they can be funny; they’re just not my thing.

Neither is this CD. The first time I played it, I hated it. All of it. On second listen, I realized that I had to be more objective. Eleven out of the 12 tracks are consistently hard rock. (When "Take a Picture" by Filter came up, I thought I’d accidentally hit "shuffle" on my CD player -- it’s that out of place.) I have to say, though, this is high-quality hard rock. I can tell the difference (see BW2 soundtrack).

High points include the creepy "Change in the House of Flies" by Deftones, who also provide a bonus track at the end of the CD. "School of Hard Knocks" by P.O.D. kicks off Little Nicky with the fast-paced, turn-it-up style that unites most of the music on this soundtrack.

Final verdict -- this one won’t be finding its way into my personal collection, but odds are, if you are a fan of one of the artists represented on Little Nicky, you won’t be disappointed and might even discover a new favorite.

The Little Vampire Soundtrack
Rated 4: What for?

Most of you are probably thinking, "The Little Vampire had a soundtrack? Why?" I can’t answer that question. There’s pretty much no reason at all.

What can be said about The Little Vampire? On the positive side, it is totally nonthreatening: some of the track titles are "Best Friends," "Let Your Soul Shine," and "Let’s Get Funky Tonight." I have never heard of any of the artists before. It’s possible that I missed them because I’m currently boycotting the radio due to the omnipresence of Britney Spears, her evil twin, Christina Aquilera, and N’Sync and the other boy-band clones. More likely, The Little Vampire artists are B-level rip-offs of the previously mentioned "artists."

Which brings us to the negative side. There is absolutely nothing memorable about this CD. It’s bland, bubble-gum pop at its most mediocre. There are no stand-out tracks, and I can’t imagine any kid desperately wanting this CD.

Quills Soundtrack
Rated 8: Points for originality.

The first five tracks lulled me into thinking that the Quills soundtrack will be a gentle, classical score. (Was that the sound of a didjeridu? Nah.) Slowly, odd sounds began to creep into my consciousness. By track six, "Royer-Collard and Bouchon", I realized that I had made my assessment too soon.

Reading the liner notes, I began to see why. Composer Stephen Warbeck informs the reader that, "For some of the score, we used a full orchestra and choir, and other sections were played by The Lunatic Band". In the latter, instruments include shawms, trombone and bucket, serpent, drum, cittern and mandolin, and violin. You don't hear many bucket solos in soundtracks, do you?

As a musical CD, Quills is iffy. The first third is brooding and quiet, the middle is, at times, a jarring cacophony. Near the end, elements of both become blended together in an odd mix. However, as a soundtrack, Quills hits the mark. The film is set in a madhouse after all. Listening to the full CD, you admire Warbeck's attention to detail, and willingness to bring in non-traditional instruments and styles to grab the notice of listeners.

Red Planet Soundtrack
Rated 7: Sci Fi fans enjoy.

The Red Planet soundtrack is for sci-fi soundtrack connoisseurs. It is a moody, slightly creepy blend of techno, Celtic and Mid-East elements. Perfect background music; most tracks are neither jarring nor attention grabbing.

Graeme Revell, the composer of Red Planet, may not have a familiar name, but soundtrack fans probably own some of his work. He’s a Hollywood favorite, having composed for over fifty films, including Titan AE, Pitch Black, The Saint, Strange Days and The Crow. His music has a modern, if not overly edgy feel that sustains a consistent tone.

The two tracks by Peter Gabriel (actually, "The Tower That Ate People" and its remix) are the most actively engaging. "A Thousand Years" by Sting is a terrific song -- the type you replay a few times before you move on – and probably the only one from this film that you’ll ever hear on a local radio station.

Red Planet is a good bet if you are looking for a CD that won’t distract you from other activities – it is utterly inoffensive and not terribly memorable, but that’s not always a bad thing.

Rugrats in Paris
Rated 6: Parental warning: will be played several hundred times.

Hmm... Who will be buying this CD? My guess is that Rugrats fans probably don’t drive, most don’t have credit cards, and, gee, they probably don’t surf the Internet that much, either. That leaves the parents of Rugrats fans.

What do you need to know about the Rugrats in Paris soundtrack? Well, it will not drive you insane. This is good news, because you’ll probably hear it several thousand times if you purchase it for your own Rugrat. And after the first 50 playings, you will begin to sing along to a few songs and grow to hate others. Just thank your lucky stars that you live in the age of CDs. My mother couldn’t hit "skip" on the record player.

Here’s the breakdown: everything is cute and cheerful and has a good beat. If you are familiar with this film in any way, you already know that "Who Let the Dogs Out" by Baha Men figures prominently. Using precise scientific methods, I’ve determined that anyone over 10 years old can listen to this song 3.7 times before wanting to hunt the Baha Men down like the dogs that got out.

Songs like "These Boots Are Made for Walkin’" by ex–Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and "Chuckie Chan" by Isaac Hayes are a bit easier to take. "I Want a Mom That Will Last Forever" by Cyndi Lauper gave me the creeps, personally, but if you are prepared to hear Angelica sing Donna Summer’s "Bad Girls" with all references to prostitution changed to cookie and candy lyrics, you are a much stronger person than I am.